article · Viruses
A study in Corsica investigated domestic pigs, wild boars, and hybrid wild boars as reservoirs for Hepatitis E Virus (HEV). Researchers collected serum and liver samples from these animals between 2009 and 2013. They found anti-HEV antibodies in 26% of pure wild boars, 43.5% of hybrid wild boars, and 88% of domestic pigs. HEV RNA was also detected in liver samples from all three groups. The findings confirm that both domestic pigs and wild boars, including hybrids, act as HEV reservoirs in Corsica. Hybrid wild boars appear to play a significant role in spreading HEV between domestic and wild populations, posing a zoonotic risk to hunters, farmers, and consumers of raw pig liver products.
This research highlights a significant public health concern in Corsica, showing that Hepatitis E Virus is widespread in local pig populations. Understanding these animal reservoirs and transmission pathways is crucial for developing strategies to protect farmers, hunters, and consumers from infection, especially those who consume raw pig liver specialities.
The findings suggest a need for public health interventions and food safety measures to mitigate the zoonotic risk of Hepatitis E Virus. Potential applications include the development of improved diagnostic tools for HEV in animal populations, and educational programmes for farmers, hunters, and consumers. This research provides foundational epidemiological data, indicating an early-stage contribution to public health and food safety initiatives.
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In Corsica, extensive pig breeding systems allow frequent interactions between wild boars and domestic pigs, which are suspected to act as reservoirs of several zoonotic diseases including hepatitis E virus (HEV). In this context, 370 sera and 166 liver samples were collected from phenotypically characterized as pure or hybrid wild boars, between 2009 and 2012. In addition, serum and liver from 208 domestic pigs belonging to 30 farms were collected at the abattoir during the end of 2013. Anti-HEV antibodies were detected in 26% (21%-31.6%) of the pure wild boar, 43.5% (31%-56.7%) of hybrid wild boar and 88% (82.6%-91.9%) of the domestic pig sera. In addition, HEV RNA was detected in five wild boars, three hybrid wild boars and two domestic pig livers tested. Our findings provide evidence that both domestic pig and wild boar (pure and hybrid) act as reservoirs of HEV in Corsica, representing an important zoonotic risk for Corsican hunters and farmers but also for the large population of consumers of raw pig liver specialties produced in Corsica. In addition, hybrid wild boars seem to play an important ecological role in the dissemination of HEV between domestic pig and wild boar populations, unnoticed to date, that deserves further investigation.
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DOI: 10.3390/v8080236
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